Youse, Bridgman Lift Bobcats Past Knights in OT, 74-66

BANNER ELK, N.C. - Sam Youse, who scored a career high 23
points, and Terrance Bridgeman, who notched 14 points, lead the
Lees-McRae College Bobcats to a 74-66 overtime thrilling win
against the St. Andrews Presbyterian College Knights Tuesday
night.

Youse's 23 points came on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor,
3-of-6 from three and 4-of-8 from the free throw line. Bridgeman
came off the bench to score his 14 points. The duo had four steals
apiece and combined for the most exciting play of the game, which
sent the game into overtime with 18 seconds to play in the
game.

Youse went to the free throw with 16.8 seconds left to play and
the Bobcats down three. After making the first one, Youse missed
the second one only to be slammed back in by Bridgeman, who had
timed the shot perfectly from outside the three-point arc.

In overtime, it was back-to-back threes by Daniel Sepokas and
Youse that gave the Bobcats a quick six-point lead, 66-60. Anthony
Johnson had the assists on both baskets. The Bobcats would push
their overtime lead to as high as eight, 71-63, on a Youse layup
and would hold on to win by the same margin as Sepokas ended the
scoring with two free throws to give the game the final of
74-66.

The game started with the Knights taking an eight-point lead,
14-6, seven minutes into the action on a Zach Garst free throw and
would push the lead to 11, 23-12, when Marcus Connor got an
offensive rebound and scored six minutes later.

A Bridgeman field goal would spark a 12-2 Lees-McRae run to
close the gap to 25-24 when Jesse Hoots made a circus layup after
being fouled with 3:26 remaining in the half. The Bobcats would
tie the game up a minute later at 25 on a Sepokas free throw, and a
Jesse Hoots field goal with three seconds left would give the
Bobcats a 29-28 halftime lead.

However, following the break, St. Andrews would go on a 10-0 run
to take a 38-29 lead just four minutes into the half. Four minutes
later a Garst bucket would give the Knights an 11-point lead,
46-35, and they would take their largest lead, 13 points, 56-43 at
the seven minute mark on two Antonio Moffitt free throws.

A Bridgeman drunk provided the spark for the Bobcats that sent
them on a 14-2 run closing the gap to 58-57 with 1:10 play and to
set up for the thrilling regulation finish.

Lees-McRae had a total of four dunks in the game - two from
Youse and two from Bridgeman.

The Bobcats were 36 percent from the floor and 28 percent from
three, while the Knights were 34 percent overall and 20 percent
from three.

The Knights were led by Garst who notched 19 points and
collected 13 rebounds for the game's only double-double. Marvin
Jackson followed with 16 points, and Moffitt had 11 points. Connor
tallied 9 blocks for the Knights.

Lees-McRae will return to action Thursday when Queens travel to
Williams Gym for 7:30 p.m. tipoff.